CALL FOR PROPOSAL FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NATIONAL INTEGRATED LABORATORY SYSTEM

The Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc. (CHAI) is a global health organization committed to saving lives and reducing the burden of disease in low-and middle-income countries while strengthening the capabilities of governments and the private sector in those countries to create and sustain high-quality health systems that can succeed without our assistance. For more information, please visit: http://www.clintonhealthaccess.org

Background

The Rwanda medical laboratory network comprises 514 Health Centers (HCs), 5 Medicalized Health Centers, 56 Hospitals, and the National Reference Laboratory (NRL). This network currently operates with multiple Laboratory Information Systems (LIS), including LabWare at the National reference Laboratory (NRL), VLSMS, initially deployed for HIV-related testing and now expanded to include Hepatitis, TB, and other modules. Data to Care, used for TB data reporting, an Electronic Proficiency Testing (ePT) for quality management and various Laboratory modules within hospital Electronic Medical Records (EMRs).

These systems, both proprietary and open source, are fragmented and often inconsistent across facilities. This proliferation results in high operational costs, heavy workloads for clinical and IT staff, and limited interoperability. Additionally, several lower-level health facilities still rely on manual processes, limiting the overall efficiency and accuracy of laboratory services.

To address these challenges, the Ministry of Health (MoH) and Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC), with support from the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) are initiating a project to develop a harmonized and fully integrated National LIS. This initiative aims to streamline laboratory operations, promote interoperability, enhance data management, and reduce dependency on external service providers.

Scope of work

The selected consultancy firm or companies will be responsible for the following:

Conduct a comprehensive assessment of the current laboratory systems and infrastructure to inform the design and development of the national LIS, aligned with the specifications in Annex 1 and relevant API standards.

Use an Agile methodology to develop the LIS in phased stages, including:

• Core LIS
• Supporting modules (e.g., EPT, HTS, quality control)
• System integrations and interoperability
• Instrument interfacing
• Conduct iterative and adaptive internal system testing.
• Collaborate with the digitalization team from MoH, RBC/NRL, hospitals, and stakeholders to perform User Acceptance Testing (UAT) based on predefined criteria and methodology.
• Undertake data cleaning and migration from legacy systems.
• Provide comprehensive training for system administrators, super users, and end users.
• Deploy the system in a phased approach, beginning with pilot facilities (NRL, one hospital per level, and one health center).
• Conduct ongoing system maintenance and support in line with the Service Level Agreement (SLA) during the warranty period.

Expected results

Delivery of a web-based, centralized, and fully integrated Laboratory Information System (LIS), including all core and supporting modules, interfaced with instruments and other national health systems, and capable of scaling nationwide.

Key deliverables

Initial Project and system Documentation:

• Inception Report
• System Architecture Document
• Security Architecture Document
• Detailed Requirements Specification compliant with the Rwanda laboratory network workflows and API toolkit.

Phased system release and validation documentation for:

• Core LIS
• Supporting Modules (e.g., ePT, eHTS, Quality Control)
• Integrations with national health systems
• Instrument interfacing
• Data Migration Report
• Training Report for administrators, super users, and end users
• Pilot Deployment Report covering NRL, one hospital per level, and one health center.
• Comprehensive Technical Documentation and user guides
• Two-Year Service Level Agreement (SLA) for post-deployment support

Duration of the assignment and expected starting date

The delivery of the assignment from inception/contract signing to implementation is expected to take one and a half years from the date of commencement followed by 24 months of post-deployment support. The selected consulting firm is expected to start immediately after the contract signature.

Submission of proposals

Interested consulting individuals should submit their technical and financial proposals prepared in English, to rwandaoffice@clintonhealthaccess.org with subject: “Consultancy Services for National NLS” not later than Friday 27^th June 2025 at 05:00 pm Kigali local time.

Candidates are requested to adhere to the deadline, proposals submitted after the deadline will be automatically rejected.

Note:

Data Protection and Consent:
"By submitting a proposal in response to this Request for Expression of Interest (REOI), you hereby consent to the collection and use of your personal and company data by the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) for the sole purpose of facilitating the tendering process, in accordance with the data protection laws of Rwanda."

Conflict of Interest Declaration:

"By responding to this Request for Expression of Interest (REOI), you confirm that no conflicts of interest exist between your organization and any CHAI staff involved in the procurement or evaluation process, nor with any members of the leadership team at CHAI's Rwanda country office."